Crust Pizza & Wine Bar

Super fast carry out, excellent service… But this place is closed now ;(They have a location in Rochester Hills that I have not been to, what a bummer.

Crust makes very good pizza. The wood fired oven makes a huge difference. There are many varieties to select from, depending on what you feel like that day. The Thai pie is tasty, the spinach white pizza also one of my favorites. They make great salads as well, the arugala is light and delicious. There is a full bar with plenty if wine and beer choices. Last but not least, they serve desserts in these little extended shot glasses… different flavor offering combinations, sized right after your meal.

–Instead of wine glasses, they use glasses that you would find in hotel rooms.
–They refused to give another piece of bread to after it fell on the floor. Manager said it was a restaurant rule.
–It was very noisy.
–Pizza was outstanding. Get the Bianca+Roni.
–Service was great.
What I would improve:
–Use wine glasses instead cheapo glasses.
–Don’t be stingy with bread. Relax a bit on that Mr. Manager.

Yummy food, great prices. I am not a fan of the non traditional wine glasses though and wine selection.

Food was fresh and fantastic, but I there a serious reason there are only two stars: The cost of the slice of bread was greater than the customer experience.
Let me explain…
My dining guest, a weekly regular at Crust, mistakenly allowed the top piece of bread from his ($ 9.50) sandwich to fall to the ground. No big deal – he just asked for a new one. However, this request was «too expensive».
Our server had to ask the manager to visit the table to authorize a new piece of bread. The manager sternly denied it, citing the expense of a piece of bread. I offered to pay for it, but my guest was too appalled at the customer service and ate his sandwich without a top.
It should be mentioned, however, that the server was gracious. I actually felt a little badly for him that his management was so misguided.

Interesting concept but it works very well. Fanrastic pizza (best I’ve ever had) and a huge wine and drink menu. Very pleased with the service and the older crowd added to the atmosphere in a way.

We felt like having a pizza and a beer on St. Paddy’s day, so we went to Crust. It is right near my neighborhood. One of our pizzas, we split two, was a specialty Pizza tonight that we had never had before and it was really good. It came topped with shrimp, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese, This was one tasty pizza. And s is typical, the crust was crispy on the bottom and had just the right chew on top. Oh, and yes, the Sam Adams was tasty too.

We love it … reasonable prices, very good pizza and a killer baked goat cheese appetizer. Its proximity to Maple Art Theatre is a plus too since we’re movie geeks.
The fact that they serve wine in a juice glass is not deterrent enough to keep us away!

It is medium. Not great, not horrid.
Good: Atmosphere is fun and young. The location is easy to get to and the parking is ample. Drinks are tasty. Prices are reasonable.
I could live but: It is a little loud because of all the hard surfaces.
Bad: The food is not awesome. You wouldn’t complain because the prices, however it isn’t great. Some combinations seem weird. The waiters can be good or pompous.
I want to love it — but I just don’t.

I found the pizza there to be mediocre. The speidini appetizer was way too salty. However, the spinach dip appetizer is fantastics and the dessert shooters are great!

Ok, I’ve been here twice and I walked in with high hopes. The atmosphere is nice, exposed brick, nice and simple without being fancy. Thin crust pizza done right — paired with some good wine — is one of my favorite ways to dine.
Unfortunately, the food qualifies it for an over priced California Pizza Kitchen, at best. Here is why:
We were hungry & asked how large the Caesar salad was. The waitress showed us the size with her hands. We order the large… what came out was not only 3 times the size, but it was 90% romaine lettuce with very little dressing or any other flavor. I felt like I was eating a massive bowl of chopped lettuce.
Blatantly lying about food portions for an up-​sale? Strike one…
For Pizza, my husband and I split the pizza classic: Margarita. Basil, tomato sauce & mozzarella. The basil? Topped on the pizza in full leaves. I don’t know about you all, but biting into a leaf of basil all at once is not appetizing. I bit in my pizza and the whole leaf ended up in my first bite. I couldn’t taste anything else! Basil is very aromatic. Chopped basil would have distributed the nice basil flavor without making it so limited to a few (or one!) bites. The sauce was just a disgrace, obviously they used sauce straight out of a can. I know the difference between canned & fresh and I’m disappointed that Crust, being a pizza restaurant, cannot see the value in sauce made fresh. Maybe you’re fooling the not so seasoned Friday night crowd, but not this chick. The crust of the pizza was indeed perfect. And we split the expresso cheesecake dessert. It was a tiny portion but really delicious with the cheesecake crust layered in between a sort of cheesecake expresso mouse. The texture was light and fluffy. That I will give them. The rest was all «eh» quality. The wine list, especially is very uninspiring. I’ve seen the majority of those brands at Kroger & for half the price.
Disappointing quality of Za… Strike two…
Our waitress was also one of those that just doesn’t «get» it. We sat down, and she asked us immediately if we had decided on anything. That’s fine, maybe she’s busy and didn’t notice I just took off my scarf n gloves, then she comes back 2 minutes later and asks again! Simma daahhhn nah, woman! We’re making decisions here. When we fold our menus closed, that is cue to you then asking us if we’re ready. THEN! She had the gull to sweep all around our table. She kept whacking my foot with a broom! How about wait until we pay the bill?
Ruthlessly agressive Waitress… Strike three.
Sorry, Crust. That means you’re outta here!!!

In a rush to catch a movie at the maple art cinema we grabbed a cheese glorious cheese pizza, Not bad, but not great. The service was a tad on the slow side & the Pizza when it arrived nothing special.

We had dinner here after seeing a film at the Maple. We split a Sonoma salad and a pepperoni pizza, and it was more than enough for both of us. The salad was super-​fresh and tasty, with gobs of goat cheese, grape tomatoes, and dried apricots. Yum! The pizza was bubbly hot, with a thin crust, plenty of cheese, and some really high-​quality Molinari pepperoni. If we had been drinking wine I’m sure the check would have been considerably higher but since we’re non-​drinkers we thought the cost of dinner was reasonable.
The only reason I’m withholding a star is because when I ordered a glass of tonic water (minus the gin) the server brought me sparkling water instead. When I explained that this wasn’t tonic water he assured me that what I had been given was the same as what I had ordered. Apparently the bartender set him straight because he returned with a glass of proper tonic water and a graceful apology. All in all, it was a tasty dinner at a reasonable price, and we plan to return.

Once again we decided we’d take a «fancier» lunch — and this time ended up at Crust. The atmosphere is interesting — it’s like they are trying to take a very industrial feel and warm it up with various fabrics and decorations. Service was okay– Our food arrived warm and we weren’t left waiting for unnecessary amounts of time — but we weren’t exactly swept off our feet either.
My meal consisted of the spinach white pizza and the mixed greens salad. The salad was quite yummy — all I remember was egg and bacon and honey mustard. There was a little party in my mouth. :) The pizza also did not disappoint — spinach, pine nuts, garlic and cheesy goodness on a thin, crunchy, yet chewy crust. The pizza was the perfect size for two.
This is definitely a different take on pizza than the Shield’s/Buddy’s dominated pizzerias of metro-​Detroit. It’s almost weird thinking of them as both being the same type of food. When I want cheese up to my eyebrows and delicious greasy pork products adorning my pizza — you’ll find me at one of the typical metro-​Detroit pizza joints. When I have a hankering for more sophisticated flavors and toppings — and a little less of an artery-​clogging experience — then I think I’ll wander back over to Crust.

I never realized how much I love pizza until I spent some years in NYC. Now, back in MI I continue to crave the cheesy, doughy goodness on a regular basis. When I’m feelin for some gourmet type pizza, Crust is the place.
The atmosphere is right on. I love that they have outside seating and the wine bar feel inside is modern yet comfortable and warm. The waitstaff is very knowledgeable and friendly and the service is right on.
I have had the luxury of tasting a number of items on the menu and I loved them all so much that I have yet to pick a favorite, but I tend to favor the Bianca and Shroom. I love ordering them with the wheat crust and it helps make me feel a little less guilty for indulging! I find the pizza size to be perfect for my own little meal and the crust is doughy and chewy, but not too heavy that I leave feeling like I have to lay down.
The pizza is where it’s at, but the salads are pretty amazing too. The Caesar and Mixed Greens salads are yummy, but the Sonoma salad is five star. The Sonoma salad has cherry tomatoes, dried apricots, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and toasted almonds and is topped with a green tea pomegranate vinaigrette that is the perfect compliment to all of the delicious ingredients.
For me, it’s the desserts where they fall off a bit. The shot glass style desserts are cute and trendy, but since I don’t order dessert often I prefer something more gratifying key lime shot glass dessert was pretty good, but felt more like I was just having a taste.
The best way to enjoy pizza is to accompany with wine, and Crust has a decent selection. The prices were pretty reasonable and there is a fun build your own flight option that I like to partake in. They wine selection seemed to be mainly US wines, which is a great way to support American products, but I was a tad disappointed since I favor Spanish wines.
Crust is also a perfect lunch choice. There is a great lunch option that includes a side mixed greens salad and a smaller sized pizza for a steal.

While I haven’t returned to Crust since my issue, I thought I should update to say how friendly Howard, who I presume was the manager, was in assisting me with the overcharging issue.

Pizza:
really like the dough, the thin crust, and the tomato sauce. however, the anchovies are way too salty and we couldn’t eat the vesuvio pizza because of it and normally we’re anchovy fans. loved the bianca pizza.
Sangria:
not a fan of the white or the red. tasted mostly like a wine spritzer.
Soups:
white bean soup was too salty. mushroom soup was too much like the campbell’s cream of mushroom. no thank you.

Mmm — this is almost a Euro/​Western type concept it seems and it really makes for a nice meal. For about $ 15−20/person, you can have a filling & gourmet thin crust pizza and a glass or two of good wine. This is not a bad way to start off an evening in the nearby downtown Rochester area. I got the SHRIMP PESTO: Sautéed shrimp, sun-​dried tomatoes, mozzarella, provolone and goat cheese. Topped with Italian parsley. It was baked close to perfection with good ingredients. I just wish there was more shrimp on it! The shrimp seemed real portioned. The white wine I got was recommended by my waitress and it went together great! My waitress should have brought water too, I had to ask for it. (It’s one of my small annoyances when my waitress assumes I don’t want water just because I am getting an adult beverage).
The seating here is a bit hard and uncomfortable and the overall dining area is a little congested. Those would be my only gripes with the establishment. The portioned shrimp for just an exact 2 shrimps per slice did not sit well with me either. Me wanted more shrimp! Overall this is a cooool place! I recommend it!

Yum + yum + yum! This past weekend my husband and I were in MI for wedding and just happen to stumble upon this place for lunch.
We tried the «shroom» pizza and we were very pleased. Crisp and crunchy crust, mounds of mushrooms and a perfect portion of cheese = a yummy pizza! The service was fast and friendly.
The only downside: we weren’t all that impressed with the wine flights or the presentation. The glasses were spotted and there was wine on the outside of each of the glasses. Too, the wines were a little warm. If you go in knowing that the pizzas are delicious and the wine is simply ok — then you’ll leave a happy camper.

I really want to give this place a 4.5, but the stars are against me. Get it? Stars? Yea, okay.
There are two locations for Crust (the other is off Rochester Road in Rochester Hills just north of Auburn) and the only difference between the two of locations is the service.
In Rochester, they treat you like a King. Once I had to wait a half-​hour to get my pizza to go, and as an apology they offered me a 50% coupon for my next visit.
In Bloomfield, you just kind of have to wait. Enjoy the experience. No amount of complaining is going to make your service faster, and may jeopardize the correctness of your order.
Nevertheless, even the service cannot stop me from going here at least twice a month. It’s a staple. They specialize in wood-​fired thin-​crust pizzas (try the Thai Pie, or the White pizza, or being daring and make your own), but their salads and pasta dishes are just as delicious. On Fridays and Saturdays only they have lasagna. Get there early because once it’s gone it’s gone. It’s a heaping mound of pasta and cheese and pesto and sauce, and you will want to lick the plate clean.
The wine selection is also good, and they do all the dirty work of choosing a wine for you. The wines are separated by tastes and they also offer a sampler if you just can’t choose.
Another highlight is the desserts. At just $ 2 you get a perfect sweet ending for your dinner. They are pudding-​like confections that come in a wide range of flavors, from banana cream pie, to cookies and cream, and they are all delicious.